Phosphatidic lubricant and method of making



Patented July 2,

UNITED s'r'r'ss FATE-T". ossics Q 7 gfo znrssnmrnop Joseph J. Jacobs, Brooklyn, N: Y., assignor to 4 American Lecithin Company, Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio No Drawing.

Application September 3, 1943, Serial No. 501,173

7 Claims. ((1252-51) This invention relates generally to the art of phosphatides and more particularly .to a new and improved phosphatide composition of special value as an additive to mineral lubricating oils and greases, to a new and improved method of making such composition, and to new and improved mineral lubricating oils and greases.

Mineral lubricating oils tend to deteriorate or decompose under certain severe operating conditions to which they are often subjected in use, for example, in internal combustion engines, electric motors, high pressure bearings and the like. In use, these oils and greases may deteriorate by being oxidized with the resultant formation of corrosive acids which corrode certain metals'and alloys, particularly bearing metal containing cadmium-silver or copper-lead alloys, and such corrosion may beof critical importance where high strength alloys are required to carry heavy loads. These oils also deteriorate or decompose by being cracked, or oxidized, and then polymerized with resultant increase of viscosity tion.

or formation of resinous compounds, or both.

Excessive wear of engine parts, loss of engine I I power and the sticking or freezing of metal parts,

such as rings in piston ring grooves, and increased costs of engine operation and maintenance may result from these increases in. viscosity or formations of resinous compounds.

Various eflorts have been made heretofore to increase the resistance of lubricating oils and ated materials, phosphorous compounds, certain amines, metallic compounds and commercial soybean lecithin- However, so far as I know, none .of these additives has been entirely satisfactory.

The present invention is predicated on the discovery that compounds made by suitable treatment of vegetable phosphatides are quite valuable as lubricants and as additives to lubricants. The compounds embodying the present invention may be used alone as lubricants for-'gears'and b'earingswhich are subjected to high pressures of maybe added to mineral lubricating. oils which Briefly stated. ammo-0a embn the present invention may be made by blendingvegctable phospbatid'es with petroleum v 2 oils in varying proportions and subjecting the While I prefer to prepare the compounds of this invention by heating a mixture of a vegetable phosphatide and mineral lubricating oil in the presence of a catalyst and while passing air thru the mixture, compounds comparable in results -to those so produced may be made by omitting'the catalysts or air or both. I

This invention will be better understood by those skilled in the art from the following examples of the compositions and process which are set forth by way of illustration but not of limita- Ezample I 100 parts of commercial soybean phosphatide were dissolved in 100 parts of an SAE 30 Mid- Continent petroleumdistillate of lubricating oil grade and the resulting solution or mixture was heated for 24 hours at 325 F. in the presence of catalysts comprising strips oflow carbon steel and copper and while air was bubbling thru the liquid at the rate of 30 liters per hourr During the treatment foaming occurred and'the liquid took on a darker color. Compositions with com, parable properties were obtained by similarly heating other quantities of the foregoing composition in the presence of the catalysts but without air bubbling thru, with bubbling air and no catalystand with neither bubbling air nor catalyst.

- Example II,

Equal parts of. containing. a. carrier of 30% soybean oil and a mineral lubricating oil were heated for one hour at 325 F. in the presence of a lowcarbon steel catalyst in bulk form. Compositions with comparable properties were obtained by heating other quantities of the foregoing composition without the catalyst, with the catalyst and air bubbling .thru at the rate of 30 liters per hour, and with n the air butwithout the catalyst.

The new, unexpected and unpredictable-prop.- erties. b'y compounds of the foregoing examples when used as additives tolubricating oils are shown by the following illustrations:-

lllu'st rationlit-Jtt oi the compound produced in accordance withEx'ample I was added to a solvent-refined mineral lubricating oil of motor oil viscosity range and that was tested against aquantity of the same 011; containing no. additive and another quantity oi tlie same a commercial lecithin product;

1 I comrmitieh'bf' I terr pleI hereinabove was flltered'to separate out the Hinsoluble material and --L the liiltrate piito the extent cr11-% ordinarfysoybean ph cludincgyarnish rating tendendfofthe oil todeteriorateor decompose- -catin80i18of 3 4 Attheendof '10 hours of accelerated testin the 1 following comparative results were obtained:

These results in'dicate'that the lubricating oil to which the composition of Example I was added was improved to a-sunprising extent as compared with the other oils. The extremely small percentage increase in viscosity is important because it indicates that the oil did not polymerize to any noticeable, extent during the test while the 5 neutralization number indicates that the oil oxidized to a very small -extent and, therefore, formedbut little acid. The small difference in T naphtha-insoluble material between the two OilS that such percentage may be varied from about .02%-to about 15%, the higher portion of that percentage range, that is, from about 5% to about 15% being particularly applicable to greases.

The length'of time of heating of the mixture of oil andphosphatides may vary consideretoly,

asis indicated by Examples I and II where the I times were 24 hours and one hour respectively.

containing the additives is insignificant as compared with the large amount of. that-material in the additive-free oil. Thatmaterial resultsfrom oxidation.v These results indicate the new and i unexpected superior inhibiting properties .of a

thlsinvention. B.!A quantityof the compound the treatment' outlined-in Examwas added to an SAE 30 conventionally reaped Pennsylvania. This oil Altho the temperatures shown in Examples I and II are the same, 325 F., other temperature ranging between about 200 F. and about 375 F.

may be used with comparable results. In gen- 7 eral, heating at a lower temperature for a longer time will accomplish results similar to heatin at a higher temperature for a shorter-time.

' Compounds embodying the present invention may be used alone as lubricants under certain conditions, for example, on glass or on high pressure bearings.

Having thus described the invention so that others skilled in the art may be able to understandard practice the same, I state that what I desire to secure by Letters-Patent is defined in what is claimed.

" What is claimed is:

' inmbitingthe oxidation of, and the formation of naphtha-insolubles in, a. mineral lubricating oil and consisting of a vegetable phosphatide and having been heated at a temperature of btween about 200. F. and 875 F. for between-one hour jiand twenty-four hours in the presence of an oxfida'tionprom'otins' catalyst while air was passed the at the rate of about liters per natldes't These twofoiis' subjected to, the

gets NQNI- Q 1 Itiflli be that inhibitint properties ent invention were fa'r supe'rior tothoseof the whatides in all respects in which'is an index of the with the formation of lacquer or varnish on engine parts. The varnisnrating range is from 'rn'e results'set cutin mama and n are a 'representitiveof results obtainable with the compounds of Exam'plesf and-II with mineral lubrioil ferent localities and whether solvent-refined or conventionally refined.

It is'to be 1 and 11 do not show thefnll rangeof oil and phosphatide or lecithin percentages which may be used in pre- I paring the new compositions. i In general, the

to be treated by the of a mineral oil, said mixture oilccntent in the mixture present. process may'range'from about 10% to about of phosphatideor lecithin.

foraperiodfofe41.-

with fol- J ain" viscosity ranee from .dii-

inhibiting the oxidation of, and the formation of' of the-filtered the pres- 5 oil containins' While illustrations hand 3 show theresults of using oils containing 1% of the compounds embodying this invention, it

"12.5. 1 new-attention having the pr perties of l inhibitingtheo'xidation of, and the formation of naiihtha insolubles in, a minerallubricating oiland .'-jiof a vegetable phosphntide and -Ifrom"'i0%' to 90% of a mineral oi said mixtureheated at a temperature of between about 200 1". and 375 1'. and'twenty-tourhoura- =3. A new composition having the properties of naphtha insolubles in, a mineral lubricating oil and of a vegetable phosphatide and from 10 Me 90% of a mineral oil, said mixture having been 'heatedat a temperature between 7 about 200 1". and about 375v Fhfor between i hour and.24 hours in the presence of an oxidation pmmotingcatalyst.

4. A new composition having the properties of inhibiting the oxidation of, and the formation of naphtha insolubles in. amineral, lubricating oil and consisting of a vegetable phosphatide'anq from 10% to-90% of a' 'min'eraloil. said mixture having been heated at. a temperature be- 1 hour and 24' hours while air. was passed thru themixturer 5. A lubricant comprising a mineral lubricating between about 02%. and about 1 5% of a composition havingthe properties of inhibiting the oxidation of and the formation of naphtha insolubies in, said all and consisting of a vegetable phosphatide and from 10% to -90% havingbeen heated ate temperature of from about 200i F. to

about 375 F. for between -1 hour and 24 hours before being added to said lubricating oil..

6. A lubricant in the form of amineral lubriis to be understood '15 eating oil containing between about .02% no 1. A new composition having the properties of from-10% {to 90% of a mineraloil, saidmixture for between one hour tween ab0llb'200 r; and about 375 F. for between I 5% of a composition havin the propei'ties of inhibiting the oxidation of, and the formation .of

-; 7. A lubricant in the form of a mineraliubri- 10 6' cating grease containing between about 5% and 15% of a composition having the properties of inhibiting the oxidation of, and the formation of naphtha insoiubles in, said grease and consisting of a vegetable phosphatide and from 10% to 90% 1 01's. mineral oil, said mixture having been heated at a temperatureof from about 200 F; to about 375 F. for between 1 hour and 24 hours before being added to said grease.

a JOSEPH J. JACOBS. 

